The EPA Is Binge Gambling With The Heart Of The U.S. Economy

Folks who stop at a slot machine in the Las Vegas airport between flights can usually risk the few dollars that will probably disappear, but the serious gambler—whether the stock market, the ponies, or cards—assesses the risk before they cash in their chips. Even then, they make miscalculations. That’s why they call it gambling.

Last week, Fred Krupp of the Environmental Defense Fund miscounted his cards when he claimed that new EPA regulations will “protect the IQ of countless of American kids and help clear the air for millions of Americans with asthma.” Citing the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards the EPA rolled out on December 21, that he said was 21 years in the making, his widely-published op-ed said that the US “has always had good sense when taking on hazardous substances in our environment.”

The first card Krupp lays down in support of his argument that the US has “good sense” is DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane)—which the Environmental Defense Fund’s (EDF) cofounder, Victor Yannacone, was instrumental in banning back in 1972. Using DDT as an example of “good sense,” Krupp says it was banned “after learning that the pesticide was killing birds of prey.” Even though the EDF sprang up in the late sixties with the single purpose of battling the use of DDT, it is surprising that he is still trying this old trick.

Since DDT was used in WWII to successfully control typhus and malaria, it has gone from winner to loser and back to winner again. In 1948, Dr. Paul Muller, the scientist who discovered the insecticidal properties of DDT, was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine for his work. The tables turned when Rachel Carson wrote Silent Spring in 1962 and referenced experiments done that claimed DDT thinned birds’ eggshells. Ultimately, through the work of EDF, DDT was banned in 1972. Because of that decision, malaria has spread, and millions have died from it. Instead of eliminating the disease’s vector, the mosquito, drugs have been developed to treat the disease, and those drugs are now proving ineffective, as malaria has grown resistant to them.

Since then, additional studies have been done and the eggshell findings have been revisited. DDT wasn’t the problem it was once believed to be. In 2006, the World Health Organization declared that, DDT “will once again play a major role in its efforts to fight the disease.” DDT kills the mosquitos that spread the disease.

The world gambled on what seemed to be a sure thing—but it turned out to be just hysteria and propaganda. Millions have died from the bad bet.

In recent history, we’ve collectively bet on “sure things” and lost.

We once believed there was an energy shortage—but modern technology and resource expansion have created a global oil glut, and natural gas is so plentiful that it is currently priced at a two-year low. America is now a net exporter of fuel.

Renewable energy was a sure thing. Presidents Bush and Obama threw taxpayer dollars at it—but it hasn’t paid off. Solyndra (and others) have gone bankrupt, taking taxpayer dollars with them. First Solar was the single worst performer in the SPX in 2011. Biofuel production has fallen off while the production of traditional fuels is up.

The planet was said to be warming. It was thought to be a crisis. But before a global agreement could be signed to fix the problem, new studies were done, and data was found to be falsified. The cooking of the books became known as “climate-gate.” The earth began to cool on its own—warming and cooling as it has done for billions of years.

Now we may have “mercury-gate.” The EPA and the environmental groups pushing for the “21 years in the making” Mercury and Air Toxics Standards have not looked at all the data, and data that they have looked at is used selectively to draw the desired conclusions.

Krupp claims that current levels of mercury (a naturally occurring element) will damage the IQ of “countless American children,” leaving the reader with mental pictures of rooms full of special needs children. When, in fact, their study shows the estimated total IQ points lost nationwide to mercury contamination of fish consumed by humans is 510.8 IQ points (see ES-5, Table ES-3 “Estimated IQ benefits from HG reduction”). That’s not per person (or child). That’s not per state; it is the total national benefit: 511 (let’s be generous) IQ points saved at an estimated annual cost of $9.6 billion. So, nationwide, 500 children might lose one IQ point, or 1000 might lose a half a point.

Similar to the tactics used to push the climate-change agenda, the EPA has once again selected data to support its predetermined outcome—they’ve then launched an advertising campaign to sell the expensive plan to the public. In his analysis of the EPA’s study, Dr. Willie Soon says: “It ignored well-documented, respected, and readily available research that conflicted with its apparently predetermined outcome and agenda.”

To read Krupp’s op-ed, you’d believe that implementing the EPA’s findings—which will cause some coal-fueled power plants to be mothballed and raise energy costs for consumers and industry—will eliminate all mercury from the environment. According to the Soon study, this is not true. He says: “America’s coal-fired electrical generating units are responsible for approximately 0.5% of mercury found in the air Americans breathe. Even eliminating every milligram of this mercury will not affect or reduce the other 99.5% in America’s atmosphere.” Major sources include forest fires and volcanoes.

Once again, Americans are being forced to make a bad bet. The EPA would like us to spend $9.6 billion dollars (that is billion with a “B”) for a proposed saving in healthcare costs of $6 million (that is million with an “M”) and it doesn’t add up—especially when considering the conflicting data. Even an amateur gambler wouldn’t make that bet. The odds are against you.

When the first card Krupp played was pulled from his sleeve, there is no reason to trust anything else he says. With an annual salary of nearly half a million dollars, Fred Krupp can afford to gamble, but the US cannot. The EPA is on a binge, gambling with the heart of the US economy and making our citizens the losers.

The author of Energy Freedom, Marita Noon serves as the executive director for Energy Makes America Great Inc. and the companion educational organization, the Citizens’ Alliance for Responsible Energy (CARE). Together they work to educate the public and influence policy makers regarding energy, its role in freedom, and the American way of life. Combining energy, news, politics, and, the environment through public events, speaking engagements, and media, the organizations’ combined efforts serve as America’s voice for energy.

Comments

Organized crime actually. They are not stupid, they are extremely evil, greedy, power hungry, control freaks. They are very well organized and are plundering, stealing and destroying America through their many bureaucracies and organizations, especially the Federal Reserve and the IRS. They secretly refer to themselves as "Satan worshippers". Please vote for and support Ron Paul. He is the only candidate who will bravely stand up against these monsters.

If this isn't reason enough to rid our country of this disease called the EPA, then I don't know what else to say. I pray and hope that Ron Paul wins so he can dismantle the EPA, full of nothing but liars and manipulators, much like Climategate is. Nothing but a bunch of liars and manipulators. Remember when Obama was quoted as saying ". . .energy costs will necessarily skyrocket. . ." if Cap and Trade was implemented? This is what an enemy of America, not a sitting U.S. president, says. If I was an enemy of America and figured out a way to dismantle our economy and bring America to ruin, I would do exactly as Obama is doing. This man Obama and his administration are enemies of America. They've already proven that by their actions and laws and executive orders that they've manufactured.

I can't wait until Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his Cold Case Posse have their report out on Obama the Fraud. Also, a Judge Malihi out of Georgia has denied Obama dismissal in his attempt to continue to hide his records. Finally, a judge in America who is not in the tank for Obama. The trial (the reason for which is to keep Obama off the Georgia ballot for re-election of Obama, unless he can prove he's eligible to run for the office) is schedule for Jan. 27, 2012. I'll bet every dime I own that Obama will not show up, and ask for and extension. I mean, the man has no respect for our Rule of Law or the courts. As well as AG Eric Holder. The Obama admin. and his cronies seem to think they're above the law. It's time to expose these criminals for who they are and I hope and pray that someday soon they will be charged criminally for all the harm they've done to America. This is not a conspiracy theory, this is a fact. This president has spent more money in his first 3 years in office than ALL presidents before him, starting with Washington! Doesn't this seem like something an enemy of America would do on purpose. You bet your a**!

The same story: comment must be approved by site admins; well site admins you are like epa, you do not like what I have to say you do not approve it; just like you did with my post on harry reid: you did not liked it and you did not posted it; so wich side are you admins???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

The President, the EPA and the so-called management departments or agencies of the Federal Government, along with the so-called environmental groups like the Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth are just bunch of socialist or comunists that are happy with the destroying the US econmy and industry. They need to stopped.

As expected the next “crisis” is mercury now that incandescing light bulbs have been replaced by CFL’s.
The CFL’s contain mercury and will be banned next. Also, the incandescing manufacturing plants have left the USA.
All in the name of “save the environment” and push the cost up for Americans next forcing the purchase of LED’s.
It is Sustainable Development (Agenda 21) seeking to bankrupt Americans for control, control, control!

Example,
One Bay Area is a plan to push Bay Area residents out of their cars and jam them into pack-and-stack high rises in the coming decades. The goal: cut greenhouse gas emissions and supposedly help save the planet from global warming.
One Bay Area is mandated by SB 375, the Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act of 2008. It was passed by the Democratic-controlled Legislature and signed into law by then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger,. SB 375 is not as well known as AB 32, the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. But SB 375 well could affect Californians’ lives more directly. This is all part of the United Nations Agenda 21’s goal

One Bay Area is supported by the Bay Area’s liberal politicians, planning bureaucrats, environmentalists, social justice advocates and other elites. The plan is scheduled to be approved by the Association of Bay Area Governments and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission in spring 2013.
One Bay Area is designed to accommodate that growth while meeting the SB 375 goal of reducing carbon dioxide, particularly from cars and light trucks, by 7 percent by 2020 and 15 percent by 2035. The five planning scenarios actually fall short of that goal. So more social engineering will be coming, in addition to One Bay Area’s realignment of land use policies.
The plan attempts to thwart individualistic human nature in the name of communitarian progress. Basically, people who live in the suburbs and drive to work are bad. Those who live in apartment/condo buildings above shops in mass transit-oriented villages where everyone walks, bikes and rides buses and BART are good.

We don't need to be rocket scientists to figure out the "plan". How do you take a country down? What better way then ruining its economy. Our government has been using our taxes to suppliment the purchase of South American petroleum, blending it with corn (ethanol) and shipping it to the European market. Then, after we've paid for that, they charge us high taxes on our energy plus more on our use of it. Fire the EPA!!!!

The next subject/example, The demise of the Honey Bee. Do your own research! The EPA and big chemical corps have been using alternatives which could be "poisining" them. I 'd bet the farm, so to speak, that the build up of these alternatives, which are being carried back to the hives, could be what is causing bee's to abandon their hives. How do we feed the World, muchless ourselves, without the bees??????

Yes, and what about all the broken CFL bulbs in the house and in the garbage bins? That is a lot of mercury inside the house and around the garbage bins or even the recycling bins!
My dentist does claim that the mercury is bonded chemically with something else which keeps it from reacting with anything in the food or mouth. I still didn’t want it. He said he actually measured the mercury as it was being inserted in the tooth and there was none in the air. But, I would still wonder about acidic foods and just wear and tear.

I have been around for a long time (i.e. and old guy). Back in the 1960's the EPA did some bang-up research on the impacts of certain industries, mine drainage, waste water treatment, the list goes on and on. I am a scientist and used EPA documents as reference sources for many of my reports and projects. At that time they seemed to conduct true scientific reasearch (collect and analyzed unbiased data before drawing conclusions that is) in the absence of political agendas.

I do not know exactly when or how it happened, but the EPA has gone the route of the University of East Anglia. The desired politically driven conclusion is established first, then data is collected, misinterpreted, and manipulated to fit the conclusion, with any data not supporting that conclusion being discarded. The EPA has degenerated into a puppet of the Obama administration, and their current research is mostly politically guided and worthless. They are truly the enemy of all except the rebid environmentalists, who want to turn our nation into another Greece, where nothing is manufacture and everyone sits around and smiles at the tourists.